The tranquillity of the Quarry Kissy Community in Freetown was shattered on Sunday, September 24th, 2023, when a harrowing incident of alleged arson unfolded at the Gateway Evangelical Church (Kingdom of Glory). The Criminal Investigations Department in Freetown has since launched an investigation into the shocking attack, orchestrated by one Alpha Bangura and a gang of hooligans.
The Founder and General Overseer of the Church, Apostle Amos Lelleh, recounted the terrifying sequence of events that unfolded on that ill-fated day. According to him, he was inundated with frantic calls from congregants reporting that Alpha Bangura, who claims ownership of the land adjacent to the church, had masterminded the attack. Armed with petrol and lighters, the assailants launched a vicious assault on the church building, raining it with stones. In the process, they caused extensive damage to the church, including broken windows, vandalized CCTV cameras, shattered solar lights, damaged video cameras, a ruined organ, two laptops worth millions of Leones, and other valuable possessions.
Apostle Amos Lelleh disclosed that during the attack, one of the church pastors was gravely injured while attempting to document the horrifying incident on video. Shockingly, the assailants also attempted to assault a 13-year-old girl, a member of the church, who had sought refuge in a restroom to evade harm.
Law enforcement authorities arrived promptly at the scene and resorted to teargas to quell the violence, leading to several arrests. However, much to the community’s dismay, the ringleader, Alpha Bangura, managed to evade capture by concealing himself in a nearby residence. It was only through the intervention of a community member, who urgently summoned an army officer, that Alpha Bangura was eventually apprehended and handed over to the Police.
Nonetheless public consternation ensued when it was discovered that he was released within a matter of hours. Defiantly, Alpha Bangura threatened to launch another attack on the church and Apostle Amos Lelleh’s residence, vowing that he would face no repercussions for his actions.
Apostle Amos Lelleh also disclosed that during the attack, the thugs doused an amputee church member and his wheelchair with petrol in a chilling attempt to set them ablaze, narrowly averting a horrific tragedy.
The matter was initially reported to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Dr. John Martin Senesie, at the Ross Road Police headquarters, and the Local Unit Commander of the Kissy Mess Mess Police Station, Sao Vandy, before being transferred to the Criminal Investigations Department in Freetown for an extensive inquiry.
Apostle Amos Lelleh has also brought the matter to the attention of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Sierra Leone, led by Rev. Bishop Akintayo Sam Jolley.
Reports have surfaced that Alpha Bangura has asserted ownership of the land since 2017 and despite reporting the matter to the Ministry of Lands, there has been no substantial resolution concerning the disputed two town-lot on which the church stands.
Sources within the Criminal Investigations Department have confirmed that eight suspects are currently in custody, with the investigation still actively ongoing.
Established sixteen years ago, the Gateway Evangelical Ministries Church has a commendable history of providing relief items and food to the impoverished, extending aid to up to 500 to 700 individuals during critical times, such as the Ebola outbreak.
Their benevolence has included the distribution of hundreds of bags of rice to the less fortunate in the Quarry community and amputees in Grafton. Additionally, they have donated rice, funds and scholarships to underprivileged individuals and deserving pupils within the Quarry, Kissy community.
As investigations continue, the community and the congregation pray for justice and a return to the peaceful sanctuary of their place of worship.
